CONGREGATION + COMMUNITY NEWS
PEOPLES PRESS
Joyfully Defiant for the Sake of a Just World
A congregation of the United Church of Christ, the Alliance of Baptists & the American Baptist Churches
INTERIM’S INSIGHTS
“A voice commands, “Cry out!” and I answer, “What will I say?”
“All flesh is grass and its beauty is like the wildflowers:
The grass withers and the flower wilts when the breath of YHWH blows on them. How the people are like grass! Grass withers and flowers wilt,
But the promise of our God will stand forever.”
(Isaiah 40:6-8, The Inclusive Bible)
It’s about the time of year that I begin to count on a little bit of a reprieve from yard work. The heat of summer induces dormancy in the grass, even if it stays green. It doesn’t grow as fast and my once-a-week mowing drops back to every 10-14 days. The hedges are trimmed by now and the gardens are shifting from needing to be weeded to needing to be dead-headed. And it gets hot. If there are still any climate change deniers out there, I invite them to come and work in my yard, or better yet, go to the fields in California and risk their lives alongside the farm workers, who can’t afford NOT to be in the furnace that our atmosphere has become. The heat domes are no longer limited to desserts and equatorial locations, but are wreaking havoc in the meccas of retirement communities and European vacation spots like Corfu and Greece. The sun has become a threat to our lives instead of the source of life!
The 40th Chapter of Isaiah is apt for us to read in this climate of change. It begins what most Bible nerds refer to as Second Isaiah, and yes, I quoted it last month also (Thanks for noticing). Judah was still reeling from a national disaster: a devastating war, a siege of Jerusalem, starvation and disease and deportation. They had seen the destruction of the city of Jerusalem and the destruction of their beloved Temple. First Isaiah saw it coming and spoke a message of God’s judgment – the same God that blessed them with life now cursed them with death – or so it seemed.
Second Isaiah brings a message that opens the possibility of a different understanding. God is offering vindication, a new beginning, a path in the wilderness. Isaiah-the-second is charged with a task: “Cry out!” The Prophet’s response is (like mine on many a Saturday night!) “What will I say?” And then, the text becomes ambiguous. We cannot be sure if what follows is God’s answer to the Prophet or if the Prophet continues ruminating on the futility of life. Grass fades, flowers wither, the breath (or Spirit or wind) of God is incompatible with life! How the people are like grass before God’s angry judgment. But the judgment is not the last word, and maybe wasn’t even there when the worst possible thing came to be. In the heat of the moment, it seemed a lot like judgment, but now, maybe…just maybe, we mistook misfortune and tragedy for God’s punishment.
Peoples Church has had its share of misfortune. You all know more about that than I do. It may seem as though there is a judgment connected with that, when in fact, it is more about the opportunities that have been opened for us. Whatever we might have lost or left behind, the “word” or “promise” of God has never left us!
So while the grass and flowers may have wilted a bit (or a lot) in the intensity of the summer heat, there is still work to do! There are still people who need to hear the message of hope that we carry. There are still people who languish in prisons of the criminal justice system, of the chains of violence and addiction, of the callousness of systems and structures that dehumanize them. There are still people who know only judgment from those who carry the banner of religion. It is our job to raise our voices and say, “Here is your God!” Amen.
Pastor Davis Sickelka, Interim Pastor
Pastor Dave’s Schedule for august
Pastor Dave will be in Flint on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for the first three weeks of August. Please do call the church office to make sure, because a pastor’s schedule is always in flux.
If you would like to make an appointment to speak to Pastor Dave in person, please call the church office at (810)767-491 between 10:00 and 2:00 M-F, or email him at david.sickelka@peopleschurchofflint.org. If you have an urgent need for pastoral care outside of office hours, text or phone (515)720-6389.
Good Things Happening in and around us
Michigan Conference Minister to Speak at Peoples Church of Flint…
The Rev. Dr. Lillian Daniel will speak at the regular service of worship at Peoples Church on Sunday, August 13th. Rev. Dr. Daniel routinely visits and preaches at the worship services of the churches of the Michigan Conference of the United Church of Christ. Peoples Church is especially aware of the benefits of being connected to our denominations as we continue in the search process for our new minister. Please plan to be in attendance on Sunday, August 13th to hear a message of hope and inspiration.
Upcoming Affiliate & Community Activities
IN THE CONGREGATION
Links are on the church calendar. Need more info? Just ask!
Links are on the church calendar: t.ly/ALHB. Need more info? Just ask!
Adult Forum, meets at 9:30 am on Sunday’s. Starting Sunday, March 19th we will be reading The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones. Join us either in person at church or via Zoom .
Vigil for Racial Justice is still gathering 1-2 pm Thursdays on the Genesee Courthouse lawn.
New Text Alert System. We have shifted to a new text messaging service. If you're in our church directory, you're all set. If you're not, go here to sign up!